Just a head's up this will be another boring, and probably rushed chapter. I apologize, but I am just trying to get the group back together so I can really begin my story.

Kayla parked her car behind Glenn and got out, walking up with him and T-Dog. As they approached the front porch steps there were droplets of blood on them, catching the three's attention. "So do we ring the bell?" Glenn asked the other two. "It looks like people live here." T-Dog gave Glenn an "are you serious?" look. "We're past this kind of stuff aren't we?" the man questioned walking past him.

"Close the gate up the road when you came in?" a country girl's voice asked. The three turned their heads and found a girl with short brown hair in jeans and a floral top sitting in a chair. It was the girl Glenn encountered in the woods earlier.

"Uh…hi." Glenn stuttered. "Yes we closed it, the latch and everything."

"Would you mind if I checked in on the boy who was shot?" Kayla asked the girl. "I was told to come here for some extra assistance…"

"Sure come on inside." the girl answered leading them into the house. "He's in the room to the left. I'm Maggie by the way."

"Kayla."

Three followed Maggie inside and went into check on Carl first. They found Rick and Lori sitting by Carl's bed side with an older woman in the chair to the side as a white haired gentleman took Carl's blood pressure. Kayla stopped at the sight seeing the boy lay unconscious in bed with a gauze wrap taped to his side. He couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen years old.

Rick and Lori's eyes landed on Kayla who were confused at who she was. "Hi," she introduced herself. "I'm Kayla… I met Dale and T-Dog on the highway and heard about your boy being shot. I thought I could provide some assistance."

"You're medically trained?" Rick's tired voice asked. Kayla nodded. "I was an EMT before all of this."

"Good, I can use her." The white haired gentleman said. "I need all the hands I can get." He motioned for Kayla to come over as he took Carl's blood pressure.

"If they don't get back soon, we're gonna have a decision to make." Hershel informed Rick and Lori as T-Dog and Glenn left the room.

"And that is?" Rick asked.

"Whether or not to operate on your boy without the respirator."

"You said that wouldn't work…"Lori reminded the white haired gentleman.

"I know, it's extremely unlikely, but we can't wait much longer."

Lori stood up and left the room, Rick following close behind.

Kayla asked the man whose name she learned was Hershel to look at Carl's gunshot wound. "The bullet was slowed down, but split into six fragments." Hershel explained as he pulled back the bandage. "I was able to get one out, but the other five are too risky to extract without the proper equipment."

Looking over the wound, Kayla saw the wound was pretty serious from the swelling in his abdomen and Hershel was right about needing the proper equipment. The fragments were too deep. "Has he woken up at all?" she asked as she checked Carl's pulse. "Once when I pulled out the fragment, but he passed out again shortly after." Hershel replied. Very carefully Kayla put her hand on Carl's bare chest, right on his sternum and began to rub it. It was a test to see if his brain functions were still responsive which apparently they were when Carl began coughing. She stood up as Rick and Lori rushed back into the room and to Carl's side. Kayla smiled at the success of the test as Carl began to talk.

"Where are we?" he asked through shallow breaths.

"That's Hershel…"Rick informed his son looking at the older gentlemen. "And Kayla." He added looking at the girl beside Hershel who gave him a smile. "We're in his house…you had an accident."

"It hurts…a lot." Carl told his dad.

"Oh baby, I know." Lori sympathized.

"You should of seen it." Carl told his mom.

"What?"

"The deer… it was so pretty mom. It was so close. I've never been so…" But Carl never finished his sentence. Kayla's heart dropped to her feet. "Carl?" Lori said quietly. He couldn't be…could he?

"What's happening?" Rick asked.

Just then Carl began to shake uncontrollably on the bed. Rick and Lori went to hold him, but Kayla and Hershel pushed them back. "It's a seizure." Kayla informed the parents. "If you hold him he could hurt something else."

"You can't stop it?" Lori questioned.

"He just has to go through with it."

Lori stood up and began crying in Rick's arms as they watched their son go through his seizure. Kayla stepped back and her heart broke at the sight of Lori and Rick.

Carl's seizure stopped moments later and he rolled onto his back. Kayla leaned over and looked in Carl's eyes. "His brain isn't getting enough blood." She informed the others. "His pressure is dropping too fast."

"He'll need another transfusion." Hershel said.

"Okay, I'm ready." Rick said.

"If I take any more out of you your body could shut down, you could go into a coma or cardiac arrest." Hershel replied.

"Take it from me then." Kayla offered. "I'm a universal blood type." Rick looked at Kayla as she looked at Hershel who quickly grabbed the blood transfusion kit and sat her down. She rolled her sleeve up a little and held her forearm out to Hershel who taped a band around her arm. He slid the needle under her skin and began to pull the blood from her veins. Once it was over Hershel gave the blood to Carl which was enough to get him by for the time being.

Kayla gave Carl another transfusion until she had to stop. "His body's losing blood faster than we can replace it." Hershel informed the three after checking the young boy's blood pressure. "And with the swelling in his abdomen we can't wait any longer or he's just going to slip away. Now I need to know right now if you want me to do this because I do think your boy is out of time."

Rick and Lori exchanged a look as Kayla stood up, feeling light headed from all the blood she's lost. "You need to make a choice." Hershel said, slightly more irritated.

"A choice?" Lori questioned.

"A choice." Rick repeated, turning to face his wife. "You have to tell me right now what it is. You have to tell me what it is."

Lori's raised a hand to her husband's face as hers cringed from tears threatening to fall. "We do it." she finally said. Rick took her in his arms and held her close as Hershel got Patricia.

"Kayla…"Rick said with despair in his voice. "What are his chances are surviving without the respirator?" Kayla gave him a saddened look, but met his blue eyes with her hazel ones. "His chances are very slim…" she answered truthfully. "People have survived it before, but most the time they haven't…"

Lori cried into Rick's shirt upon hearing this when Hershel returned with Patricia and a silver table. "Pick him up on the table with the bed sheet on three." Hershel instructed. "One, two, three!" Hershel, Rick, Kayla, and Patricia lifted Carl onto the table perfectly and prepared the area for surgery. "Rick, Lori, I suggest that you step outside for this." Hershel suggested to the couple. Before anymore words could be spoken a car engine sounded outside, catching everyone's attention. Rick went over to the window and looked out. "Oh thank God!" he said hopefully as he rushed out of the room. "You two stay here with him." Hershel told Patricia and Kayla.

The women did as they were told and waited for Hershel's return which was several moments later, but he had the respirator. "Let's begin." He said.

Again, apologies for the rushed chapter, but once the group is brought back together it will be much MUCH better :)